Electric motor



-March 6, 1934. HEICKLER 1,949,910

ELECTRIC MOTOR Original Filed June 10, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR BY .@.W

ATTORNEY March 6', 1934. E, A, HECKLER 1,949,910

ELECTRIC MOTOR Original Filed June 10, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 1m INVENTOR @Mz M BY 69.75. MM.

ATTORNEY March 6, 1934. E, HECKLER 1,949,910

ELECTRIC MOTOR Original Filed June 10, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 I TOR ATTOR N EY March 6, 1934. A HECKLER 1,949,910

ELECTRIC MOTOR Original Filed June 10, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Mfi BY mm) M ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 6, 1934 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC MOTOR Ernest A. Heckler, Lansdale, Pa.

Original application June 19, 1933, Serial No. 675,199. Divided and this application June 20,

1933, Serial No. 676,739

. 19 Claims. (Cl. 172-239) This application is a division of my application Serial No. 675,199, filed June 10, 1983.

My invention relates to an electric motor and it has for an object to provide apparatus of this character capable of intermittent rotary movement.

My improved motor includes relatively movable field and armature elements and the armature element has propelling and holding windw ings. A plurality of spaced commutator groups and brushes cooperating with the latter provide for successive movemer cycles which are definitely terminated at predetermined points. Each commutator group includes segments connected 5 to the-propelling and holding windings; and, as current'is supplied to the propelling segments, a movement cycle occurs, the movement cycle be ing terminated with passage of the brush over the propelling segments and with full engagement thereof with the holding segment. From the time that a brush moves past the center line of a propelling segment immediately preceding a holding segment until the brush is in full engagement with the holding segment, due to field distortion in consequence of armature reaction, both the propelling and holding armature conductors develop diminishing net positive torque, with the result that the armature is eiiectively braked immediately preceding the last step of each movement cycle, the last step being the maximum linkage of field flux by the proper holding winding with the field undistorted, which condition occurs as soon as the brush is fully engaged with a holding segment. lhus it will be seen that a movement cycle starts with a brush engaging a propelling segment and ends with the brush engaging the holding segment of a group. I provide two sets of brushes arranged so that, as one set engages holding segment or segments of group or groups, the other set is brought to starting position with respect to propelling segment or segments of other group or groups. If the motor is grounded, only one segment group and one brush are necessary for a movement cycle. Means is provided for alternately supplying electric current to the brushes. Therefore, a more specific object of my invention is to provide apparatus of the above character capable of giving successive movement cycles separated by dwells.

A further object of mylinvention is to provide an intermittent rotary electric motor which is provide a motor having the following advantageous features of construction and operation: First, means for starting the rotor from rest at a predetermined point on the rotor when that point lies in a plane of reference which includes the rotor axis; second, to provide means by which the rotor is stopped at a second predetermined point on the rotor and removed from the first point a fraction of a revolution when the second point lies in the plane of reference; 5 third, to make provision for holding the rotor stationary at the second point until such time as additional motion is required; and, fourth, to make provisionby which the above motions may be repeated, in the order named, indefinitely, and thus provide an electric motor which, will deliver intermittent rotary motion.

A further object of my invention is to provide an electric motor having an armature provided with propelling and holding windings together with circumferentially spaced groups of commutator segments providing for starting of the rotor, thereafter in reducing the torque due to the effect of armature reaction and to reduction in current supplied to the propelling winding, and finally providing for termination of the move-- ment cycle due to the effect of the holding winding being positioned to thread or pass the maximum flux.

These and other objects are effected by my invention as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l. is a circular development of the entire winding of the intermittent rotary electric motor, with the commutators and connections shown diagrammatically;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic circular development of one holding circuit;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the armature showing the relation of the commutators to the lamina-- tions;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the field and its position with respect to various parts carrying. current when the armature is in the tilt (position shown;

' an intermittent rotary electric motor of the twopole type using direct current to excite the field and one having a lap armature winding, but, so

, of armature windings are used.

In Figs. 1, 6 and 7,-1, 2, and 3 represent predetermined points on the armature at which it is proposed to cause the armature to start from rest, or come to rest, when any of these points lie in the plane of reference indicated at 4, which includes the longitudinal center line of the pole pieces 4a and 4b.

The armature is provided with circumferentially spaced groups of commutator segments cooperating with the pairs of brushes 1'7, and 19, 18 so .as to secure intermittent movement cycles the arrangement being such that, with completion of a movement cycle incident to one pair of brushes traversing a pair of segment groups, the other pair of brushes will be placed in initial position with respect to the pair of succeeding groups of segments, and, when current is supplied to the latter pair of brushes, the next movement cycle will takeplace. Distributors are provided, as elsewhereherein more particularly described,

for supplying current alternately tothe pairs of brushes.

The commutatorsegments 5, 6, and'l, of low resistance and separated from each other by a suitable dielectric, are grouped to transmit current during one cycle of motion; during the next movement cycle, the groups of commutator segments 8, 9, and 10 are effective; and the following cycle is taken care of by the groups of cornmutator segments 11, 12, and 13. Y After com- Each group of commutator segments is separated from the following group by a segment of dielectric 14. For purposes which will later appear, the segments of the groups may be of unequal, length of arc, and they are insulated from and fastened to the armature shaft by any of the usual-means.

I prefer to use two like commutators, 15 and 16, which, when placed on the same central axis, a

have like segments on-either commutator 180 circular degrees apart. The commutatorsv are preferably placed ,at either end of the armature.

Each commutator has two brushes, sliding thereon. Brushes 17 and 18 slide on the commay be made up of one or more wires. Those conductors which are a part of the main winding the numeral 23, with subscripts 11", b, c" and 80 d to point out irregularities in the action of certain of these conductors. The conductors 23 are connected with the first and'second segments 5 and 6 of the groups 5, 6, and 'I, with the first and second segments 8 and 9 of the groups 8, 9, and 10, with the first and second segments 11 and 12 of the groups 11, 12, and 13 on the commutators, but

the conductors are only supplied with current through those segments which are under the influence of that set of brushes in series with the source of current. Leads 24 connect conductors 23 with the first and second segments of the groups on the commutator 15, while leads 25 connect such conductors with corresponding segments on the commutator 16.

In addition to the propelling winding consisting of the conductors 23, the armature is provided with as many separate holding windings or circuits as there are movement cycles per revolution of the armature. The reference characters 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d represent those conductors which are a part of one holding winding or circuit connected with the source of current through the commutator segments 7. The segments 10 and 13 are connected to holding windings 2'7 and 28, respectively. Onlypne of the holding windings' or circuits is active during one cycle of motion.

In Fig. 4 the direction of current is indicated by a cross when it enters the paper and by a dot when it leaves'the. paper through conductors shown perpendicular to the plane of the paper.

The armature may be of a usual design except that for this particular motor it should contain any even number of posts,,or slots divisible by 5 three. This is not essential to the application of the principles here exemplified, but is necessary to put the machine in mechanical and magnetic balance and to make the amounts of motion delivered equal.

The reference character 29' represents the neutral plane of the armature, above which all conductors 23 carry current in one direction below whichall conductors 23 carry current in the opposite direction.

The length of arc of the, faces of the north and south poles 4a and 4b are represented by 30 and 31. a

When referring to torque in the following description, I shall use the words plus torque to indicate torque in the counter-clockwise direction and the words minus torque to indicate torque in the clockwise direction. 1

Referring to ,Fig. 1, in which the predetermutator 15 and brushes. 19 and 2 0 slide on the fminedpoint 1 lies in the plane of reference 4, ii

commutator 16. 'The brushes are of such resistance as is consistent with good commutation.

The brushes 17 and 19. are alternately con-- nected to the source of electric current so asto transmit current into the commutators 15 and '16, and the brushes 18 and 20am alternately connected so as to transmit current away from the commutators. Brushes Hand 20 act in unison to pass current through the armature, while the brushes 19 and 18 are in an open circuit, and vice versa, as will be explained later.

insuch a manner that flux flows from the pole face 30 to the pole face 31, each conductor will have exerted thereon'a force acting in such a direction as to create a plus torque. Responding to this torque, the armature moves in a counter-clockwise direction.

Before proceeding further with armature rotation, attention is directed to the distorted field which is set up by armature reaction, the com- .bined field which results. from that set up by the poles and that set up by the armature being crowded into the leading pole tips, as shown in Fig. 4. Field distortion cooperates with the armature conductors to assist in torque reduction incident to termination of a movement cycle.

During the rotation of the armature, it will be readily seen that conductors 23 receive current and deliver torque as long as brushes 1'7 and 20 remain in contact with segments 6 and that conductors 26a, 26b, 26c, and 2611 will receive current and deliver torque as soon as the segments 7 contact with the brushes 17 and 20. Also, because the resistance of any electric current carrier varies inversely as the area normal to the flow, brushes 17 and 20 act as slide valves on segments 6 and 7, decreasing the current in segments 6 and conductors 23 and increasing the current, in the segments 7 and the conductors 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d, as the armatureproceeds in the counter-clockwisedirection. The effect of this action is two-fold, in thatthe plus torque created by theconductors 23 is uniformly decreased from a maximum value to zero, while the current is uniforml-yincreased from zero to a maximum in the conductors 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d.. Also, ,as segments 6 move from under brushes 17 and 20, the neutral plane 29 of the armature rotates from its original position in Fig. 1 through the position shown in Fig. 4 until such time as the segments 6 leave the brushes 17 and 20. This action causes conductors 23a and 231), Fig. 4, to enter the distorted field at a point of maximum density; and, because the direction of the field with respect to these conductors has been changed while the current still fiows in the original direction,'the torque exercised by these conductors is minus. Also, due to field distortion, the conductors 23c and 23d do not cut any lines and hence develop no torque. Therefore, because the conductors 23c and 23d develop no torque and because conductors 23a and 23b cause a minus torque to exist coupled with uniform decrease in current in all the conductors 23 as segments 6 leave the'brushes 17 and 20, the plus torque is rapidly reduced from a maximum value to zero. r

In Figs. 1 and 2, it will be found that conductors 26a and 260 are connected so as to carry current toward commutator 15 and conductors 26b and 26d so as to carry current toward the commutator 16. Hence, as segments 7 come into contact with the brushes carrying current, conductors 26b and 260 exert a plus torque while conductors 26a and 26d exert a 'minus torque, but because conductors 26a and 2601 are operating in a more dense field than conductors 26b and 260, Fig. 4, the net torque is minus and the effect is to brake the counter-clockwise rotation of the armature. It will now' be seen that, by varying the length of arc of the segments 6 and '7, the conductors 23 and 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d may be continued in operation for a greater or lesser period of armature rotation.

At the instant when segments 6 leave the brushes 1'7 and 20, the conductors 23 cease to act and armature reaction consequently ceases, at which time the field through the armature assumes its normal straight path. Conductors 26a, 26b, 26c, and 26d are then moving in a normal field, 26a and 261) under the influence of the pole face 30 and 260 and 26d under the influence of the pole face 31. Moreover, conductors 26a and 26 act together as a coil, as do conductors 26c and 26d, and thus will continue to move in the normal field until such time as they include the maximum amount of field flux, at which time they will stop and remain stationary as long as current is supplied to the holding circuit through segments 7, Fig. 6. Therefore, by making the pole faces 30 and 31 to conform to such dimensions so that the field flux may just be in-' cluded between conductors 26a, and 26b and between conductors 26c and 26d. a means is provided for bringing the armature to rest.

By placing the center line between conductors 26a and 261), as well as that between the conductors 26c and 2601, in the plane '32, Figs. 2 and 4, which includes the predetermined point 2 and the axis of the armature, an accurate means is the predetermined point 2 lies in the plane of reference.

- As will be apparent from Fig. 6, when the point 2 nears its position of rest in the plane of reference, commutator segments 8 and 9 contact brushes '19 and 18. By means which will be presently explained, brushes 1'7 and 20 are cut out of circuit and brushes 19 and 18 are cut in at the instant when further motion of the armature is required. The current now enters the conductors 23 through segments 8 and 9 on commutator 16 and leaves by way of the corresponding segments on the commutator 15. Hence, by a proper selection of leads to either commutator, I repeat all of the electrical conditions that obtained with in the armature when it first started to move, and the functions that were performed by conductors 23 above and below the neutral plane are again performed by those conductors which now lie above and below thatplane. The functions performed by the conductors 26 and the segments 7 are now repeated by the conductors 27 and the segments 10. Likewise, if the various commutator segments with their respective leads are grouped as described and placed around the commutator in sequence at equal intervals, separated from each other by segments of dielectric 14, a means is provided for securing equal fractional provided for bringing the armature to rest when turns of the armature for each revolution thereof.

The pairs of brushes 17 and 20 and 19 and 18 are rendered alternately effective and the frequency of the motor is controlled by any suitable means. -For example, Fig. 5 shows a convenient means for accomplishing these results. Brushes 19' and 18 are shown cut out of the circuit while brushes 1'? and 20 are in series with the source of current through the distributors 33 whose rotors 34 are rigidly connected by the shaft 35. When the shaft 35 is rotated through 180 circular degrees, either manually or otherwise, the rotors 34 then connect the brushes 19 and 18 in series with the source of current while the brushes 1'? and 20 are cut out; This action may continue indefinitely and the frequency with which the motor described moves is thereby governed.

From the structure described, it will be apparent that the armature has successive cycles of movement each 60 circular degrees in extent.

'into the plane of reference, as shown in Fig. 6; A the second cycle brings the point 3 into the plane;

the third cycle brings the point 1 into the plane 180 degrees from the position shown in Fig. l; the fourth cycle brings'the point 2 into the plane at the top of Figs. 1 and 6; the fifth cycle brings the point 3 into the plane at the bottom; and the sixth cycle bringsthe point 1 into the plane at the top, which is the starting position, as shown in Fig. 1. I

With the structure heretofore described, the armature is always stopped so that a pair of brushes engage both the first and second segments, or the propelling winding segments, of diametrically opposed segment groups; and, when such brushes are placed incircuit, the motor startsin the usual way, the coils undergoing commutation being short circuited through the brushes, since the latter are each engaging two segments. Just as soon as'current is supplied from the brushes to the propelling winding, the

field suffers distortion, as shown in Fig. 4, this and, as soon as the center lines of the brushes move past the center lines of the second segments, the neutral plane moves from itsnormal position and the direction of rotation with the effect of torque reduction due to minus torque in some conductors, zero torque in other conduc-- tors, reduced current fiowing in the propelling winding because of dim nishing contact area of the brushes with the second segments, and the minus torque condition occurring with the efiective holding winding. as long as current is supplied to the propelling It will be apparent ,to those skilled in the art that the principles of my intermittent rotary motor may be variously applied: any suitable number of pairs of poles may be employed; the segment group arcs may be made longer or shorter; any suitable number of propelling windor slots divisible by four. With. a four-pole mafour-pole type. Threepredetermined points cannot be arranged for a fo'ur pole machine but can chine, only twoholding cir uits are needed regardless of whether two or four predetermined points are provided for. If the arrangement is for four predetermined points, the brushes acting together slide on the same commutator, whether the'machinebeofthe two-pole or of the be used with a two-pole machine, as heretofore described, or with a-six-pole machine, in which casethe brushes acting in unison do not slideon the same commutator, but on opposite commutators, as shown on the drawings.

Where, the motor is provided with a ground return, the retum brush may be omitted and a single commutator therefore, sufiicient.

In Figs. '7 and 8, I show application of the forereference characters are used'in connection therewith.

Since the field remains unchanged, whether the motor is operated clockwise or counter-clockwise, it is necessary to reverse the direction of flow in the propelling winding, and, accordingly,

an additional propelling winding 40 is provided on the armature. An additional pair-of commutators 41 and 42 are arranged on the armature and have the segments thereof conne'ctedto the propelling winding 40 and to the holding winding 26, 27 and 28. Brushes 43 and 44 cooperate with the commutator 41'and brushes 45 and 46 with the commutator 42.

The'commutators 41 and 42 each have three groups of segments 48, 49 and 50; 51, 52 and 53; and 54, 55 and 56.. Because of clockwise direction of rotation, these contacts are reversely arranged with respect to the segments on the commutators15 and 16. As with the commutators 15 and 16, like groups of segments on the ,commutators are spaced 186 circular degrees apart. The first and second. segments 48, .49;

51, 52; 54, 55 are connected to the propelling winding 40, while the third segments 50, 53 and 56 are connected to the holding windings heretofore described. If it was attempted to use the same propelling winding for both directions of rotation, diificulty would be experienced on ac- 1 count of the holding windings. As already described for counter-clockwise ro tation, the pairs of brushes 17, 20 and 19, 18 are rendered alternately efiective by a distributor. The pairs of brushes 44, 45 and 46, 43 are rendered alternatelyeiiective in the same manner. The counter-clockwise brushes 17, 20 and 19, 18 are cut out when the clockwise brushes 44, 45 and 46, 43 are effective and vice versa, and a double-throw switch 58 is employed for this purpose.

While I have shown my invention in but two forms, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, thatonly such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forthin the claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an intermittent rotary electric motor having relatively movable fieldand armature elements, propelling and holding'means on the arqnaturef element, means utilizing relative movement of the elements to control, the supply of electric current to the propelling and hol -means-so as to secure starting and stopping of the movable element, and means for controlling thesupply ofelectric current to the last-named means so as to secure alternate dwells and movement cycles of the motor. I '2. In an intermittentrotary electric motor having relatively movable field and armature elements, propelling and holding means on the armature eleme'nt, alternately effective means incorporated within the motor structure and utilizing relative movement of said elements to control the supply of electric current to said propelling and holding means to secure starting and stopping of the movable element of the motor to provide for movement cycles thereof, the completion of one movement cycle with one means eifective bringing the other means'into initial efiective position for the succeeding movement cycle, and distributor means for supplying electric current to the one of said means in initial eflective position.

3. In an electric motor, field and armature elements, a propelling winding and holding means on the armature, means controlling the application of electrical energy to the propelling winding and to the holding means so that the motor moves for a fractional turn, and means for supplying electric current to the controlling means so that the motor moves step-by-step in fractional turns.

4. In an electric motor, relatively movable field and armature elements, propelling and holding winding means on the armature, and means for controlling the application of electric current to the propelling and holding winding means so that the motor moves step-by-step, said holding winding means including coils which, when energized, cooperate with the field to stop the rotor in predetermined positions and said holding winding means being energized by said controlling means as the end of a movement step is approached.

5. The combination as claimed in claim 4 wherein the field pole faces and the holding winding coils are so dimensioned that the latter include the maximum flux when disposed normal to the fiux.

6. In an-electric motor, a stator and a rotor having field and armature elements, means for producing intermittent fractional turn movement cycles of the rotor including propelling and holding windings on the armature element, and means responsive to relative movement of the stator and of the rotor for controlling the application of electric current first to the propelling winding, then both to the propelling and effective holding winding and finally to the holding winding during each movement cycle.'

7. In an intermittent rotary electric motor, relatively movable field and armature elements, propelling, and holding windings on the armature element, commutator means including circumferentially-spaced groups of segments, each group including segments connected to the propelling and holding windings, a pair of brush means cooperating with the commutator means and arranged so that, as one brush means engages a holding winding segment of a group to terminate a movement cycle, the other brush means engages a propelling winding segment of another group, and means for alternately supplying electric current to the brush means.

8. In an intermittent rotary electric motor, relatively movable field and armature elements, propelling and holding windings on the armature element, commutator means including circumferentially-spaced groups of segments, each group including a plurality of segments connected to the propelling winding followed by a segment connected to a holding winding, a pair of brush means cooperating with. the commutator means and arranged so that, as one brush means engages a holding winding segment of a group to terminate a movement cycle, the other brush means engages propelling winding segments of the next group, and means for alternately supplying electric current to the brush means.

9. The combination as claimed in claim 8 wherein each group of segments includes first and second segments connected to the propelling winding and a third segment connected to a holding winding,and wherein the pair of brush means is so arranged that, with termination of a movement cycle incident to engagement of one brush means with the holding segment of one group, the other brush means is positioned to positions,

engage both the first and second segments of the next group.

10. In an intermittent rotary electric motor wherein a plurality of movement cycles occur during each revolution, relatively movable field and armature elements, a propelling winding on the armature element, a plurality of holding windings on the armature element, a plurality of circumferentially-spaced groups of commutator segments, the groups including first and second segments connected to the propelling winding and a third segment connected to a holding winding, first and second brush means cooperating with the segment groups so that, with a first brush means in engagement with a third segment of a group at termination of a movement cycle, the second brush means engages both the first and second segments of the next group, whereby the engagement of either brush means, first with the first and second segments, next with the second segment and then with the second and third segments of a group effects decrease in torque during each movement cycle prior to full engagement of the brush means with the holding segment of the group, and means for alternately supplying electric current to the first and second brush means.

11. In an electric motor, a stator having a pair of poles, a rotor, propelling and holding windings on the rotor, a pair of commutators each including circumferentially-spaced groups of segments, each group including segments connected to the propelling and holding windings, brushes cooperating with the commutators and each brush having a dimension circumferentially of the rotor not exceeding the circumferential spacing between adjacent groups on the commutator with which the brush is associated, the commutators and the brushes being relatively so arranged that, when one pair of brushes engages holding segments of a pair of groups on the commutators, a second pair of brushes engages propelling segments of another pair of groups on the commutators, and means for alternately supplying electric current to the pairs of brushes.

12. In an electric motor, field and armature elements, propelling means on the armature element and which, when supplied with electric current, cooperates with the field to produce relative movement of said elements, holding means on the armature element and which, when supplied with electric current, cooperates with the field to retard motion of the movable element and to hold said element in predetermined and means responsive to relative movement of said elements to provide for supplying electric current alternately to the propelling'and to the holding means.

13. In an electric motor, relatively movable field and armature elements, propelling and holding means on the armature element, alternately effective means responsive to relative movement of said elements for supplying electric current first to the propelling means and then to the holding means, and means for supplying electric current alternately'to said alternately effective means.

14. In an electric motor, relatively movable field and armature elements, propelling and holding windings on the armature element, alternately effective means responsive to relative movement of said elements first to supply commutated electric current to the propelling winding and then to supply non-commutated electric current thereto followed by the supply of electric current to the holding winding, and means for supplyingelectric current alternately to said means.

15'.'In an intermittent rotary electric motor having relatively movable elements, one of said elements providing a field and the other element having propelling and holding means. cooperating with the field, first and second means responsive to relative movement of said elements for supplying electric current alternately to the propelling means and to the holding means to secure alternate movements and dwells of the motor, and means for alternately supplying electric current to the first and second means.

16. In an electric motor having relatively movable elements, meanscarried by the elements and providing for operating cycles, each cycle including a movement phase followed by a dwell phase, first and second means responsive to motor movement to supply electric current alternately to said means to efiect said operating cycles, and means for supplying electric current v alternately to said first and second means.

.17. In an intermittent rotary electric motor, field and armature elements, a propelling winding on the armature element, first and second means for supplying electric current to the winding to effect successive movements of the armature element, each of said means providing, in

\ response to motor movement, first for com mutated flow of electric current in the propelling winding to provide maximum torque followedby non commutated flow of electric current in the propelling winding so that,rdue to the distorted field set up by armature reaction and rotation, the torque is decreased as the end of each movemerit is approached, and means for alternately the propelling winding, so that, due to the distorted field set up by armature reaction and I0- tation, the torque is reduced as the end of each movement is approached, followed by flow of electric current in the holding winding to bring the motor to a stop; and means for alternately and means. v i

1 19. In an electric motor, field and armature elements, propelling and holding windings on the armature element, first and second means alternately responsive. to relative movement of the elements to provide for, successive cycles of energization of the propelling and holding windings, and means for supplying electric current alternately to the first and secnnd means.

ERNEST A. mm.

' supplying electric current to said first and sec- III 

